Saturday Morning Thoughts

Summer feels longer in Houston. It is not until late October or early November that I get to enjoy just being outside. I’m sitting in my backyard writing this right now, enjoying the breeze, the scents, and the falling leaves. It’s like my own personal small park. My dog is at the groomers but normally she is out here with me chewing on a rawhide bone but stopping every few minutes to demand petting. She’s quite insistent these days, often pushing her nose under my hand, as those head tilting sweet stares don’t have the effect they used to. I keep half expecting her to interrupt me even though I know she’s not here.

I’m reading more, not in volume, but more outside and more non-audio books. I’m learning to grow comfortable with not having heavily planned out days and stopping to smell the currently non-existing roses. I am mindful of crafting what my retirement might be like should I be blessed to live long enough to enjoy it. Mornings like this are part of it, plenty to do but none of it pressing and not all of it work.

I finished a movie this morning and as the good ones do, it set me to thinking; reexamining and re-imagining my life and these moments. I’ve made a note to look into more guided meditation and yoga, the latter of which I have no real experience with but am intrigued by the possibilities. A co-worker about the same age as me talked about her desire to retire in the country. I’m more of a city person but I wouldn’t mind fresh eggs, possibly living off the grid, riding my tractor to cut the grass and a big enough distance from other humans so as not to have to hear the noise of their lives while I’m trying to live my own. Of course I’m not moving anywhere I can’t have high-speed Internet but maybe satellite Internet will be perfected by the time I retire. As always my mind wanders.